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On World Cancer Day (4 February) Cancer Australia and National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre (NBOCC) are encouraging Australians to take positive action to prevent cancer.

Over 114,000 people will be diagnosed with cancer this year in Australia, and cancer remains the biggest health concern of Australians.

“While some risk factors for cancer are outside of our control, such as age or genetics, many people may be unaware that an estimated one third of cancers worldwide are preventable”. said Dr Helen Zorbas, Chief Executive Officer, Cancer Australia and NBOCC.

“On World Cancer Day, we encourage all Australians to join the international effort to reduce the number of lives affected by cancer by making healthier choices to reduce their cancer risk,” said Dr Zorbas.

The advice from Cancer Australia and NBOCC this World Cancer Day is to quit smoking, be safe in the sun, enjoy a healthy and varied diet, participate in regular physical activity, maintain a healthy body weight, limit your alcohol intake and get to know your own body.

“By taking these proactive steps now, we can potentially cut cancer rates by one third. This would be a remarkable return for making a few small changes to our everyday lives,” said Dr Zorbas.